1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to improved project management and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a method of and system for managing projects in an efficient and effective manner.
2. History of Related Art
Customers demand projects that are, inter alia, on time, within budget, and according to specification. Organizations that consistently produce such results earn customer satisfaction and repeat business. Nevertheless, particularly in the realm of information technology (IT), organizations routinely fail to meet customer demands.
One way to facilitate quality is to address individuals that work on projects such as, for example, a project manager. It is beneficial to ensure that the project manager is trained and prepared to manage a project. However, training is often task-specific and difficult to manage at a project level. Management within an organization may desire to select a project manager that is competent for the job but lack any knowledge of what is necessary to be competent and what is necessary to develop the competence.
Another way to facilitate quality is to utilize technology such as, for example, various commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies that help manage, for example, project time and project cost and help automate various project-management activities. However, organizations typically use the COTS technologies in an ad hoc manner. It is generally left to the project manager or other project-management personnel on a project to select among various available COTS technologies to perform various tasks. Therefore, there is no way of knowing which technologies may be best suited for a particular task.
Yet another way to facilitate quality is to turn to standards and processes established by project-management standards organizations such as, for example, the Project Management Institute (PMI). Although project-management standards and processes are beneficial, there is no way to make certain that the project-management standards and processes are followed. Non-compliance is frequently recognized at a point when compliance is no longer possible and, moreover, success of the project is jeopardized. Additionally, projects and customers vary extensively. Hence, implementation of project-management standards and processes is generally ineffective.